Meena Sankranti 2024 Date, Time, Rituals & Significance
Meena Sankranti is a Hindu holiday commemorating the beginning of the twelfth month. This is the final month, and on this day the sun enters Pisces. In Southern India, this day is also known as Meena Sankramanam. On this day, as on all other Sankranti celebrations, it is fortunate to donate items and receive blessings. This day is celebrated differently depending on the culture, and it is believed that donating land on this day is a good method to find happiness.
According to popular belief, the sixteen ghatis that follow Sankranti are shubh ghatis. There are numerous types of sacred chanting and pujas performed in families to cleanse oneself of past transgressions. It is considered fortunate to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Sankranti signifies the beginning of a new month in all Hindu cultures except Bengali, and it is believed that today’s good actions will bear fruit throughout the following month.
Meena Sankranti Date 2024
Thursday, 14 March 2024
Rituals of Meena Sankranti
- On each of the twelve Sankranti, including meena Sankranti, devotees must take a sacred bath at the appointed time.
- One should offer namaskar to the sun god and pray for his well-being while bathing. This should preferably be performed at sunrise.
- This day is celebrated in a variety of methods to bring happiness and prosperity to the family.
- Home temples and mandirs are decorated with flowers, and offerings of incense, lamps, and candies are made to God.
- Daan consists of ann daan (cereal donation), dhana daan (money donation), and vastra daan (clothing donation).
- It is particularly advantageous for the devotee to donate land on this day.
Significance of Meena Sankranti
Various other forms of Sankranti are also celebrated, with each month’s festival receiving significant significance. Common Sankrantis that have been highlighted in this context are Roopa Sankranti, Dhanya Sankranti, Ayush Sankranti, and Makar Sankranti, depending on the sun’s transition between phases. Meena Sankranti acquires a distinct significance owing to the transitional phases encountered with the sun at its center. Possibly considered the concluding and twelfth month of the Hindu calendar. Specifically, the sun enters the Aries zodiac sign from Pisces (Mesha from Meena), which is regarded as a particularly fortunate event.
Donating unique items on this particular day is regarded as having greater significance, reflecting the auspicious nature of Meena Sankranti. In addition to divine blessings, the majority of people are known to donate land in order to experience pleasure. It is widely believed that those who donate land and other valuables to the impoverished will experience good fortune. In fact, donations are made by those who desire prosperity for themselves, their families, and their friends. South Indians regard Meena Sankramanam as the most fortunate method for granting a wish.
Locals in India are enchanted by the unique emotions they experience during the celebration of Meena Sankranti, a significant festival. Temples across the nation are beautifully decorated to commemorate the event with great grandeur and fervor. Diyas and flowers are used to adorn the deity and temple grounds in an incredibly attractive manner. In some regions of India, the festival is also known as Mina Sankranthi, and it is celebrated with the same fervor and without sacrificing quality standards in any way. Specifically, there are sixteen Ghatis that are regarded as extremely fortunate following the sun’s flawless transition from one sign to the next.